Summary/notes: Urd & Elladan in the underworld, circa Halls of Judgment. Skip past Urd making her excuses to the Egyptian gods. They want to think things over before doing anything about her, since they don't trust that she's not on some prank or some other messy affair. I'm going to go by the fic Home is Where the Heart is for the personalities of the Egyptian gods - in short, they have a much slower temporal sense, and thus take their time in thinking things over. Exceptions to this is when immediate action is required, such as when evil attacks or something. So anyhow, Urd and Elladan are sent into some room off to the side until decision is made. Urd is crawling up the walls in boredom but can't teleport out since she's out of her native (multiverse?). Elladan has the common sense to back off when Urd is ranting, and goes to talk to the doorkeeper/guardian (a serpent-type, I'd guess), and gets a lesson (off-screen) on the afterlife journey/rites of Ra. He comes up with the plan that if they're being magically held from going back out the entrance of the underworld, they could always sneak out the way of the sun-god, and since he's "dead" for much of the latter stages of the underworld journey, most peeps wouldn't notice if they kept hidden. Urd thinks it's a great idea, but first they need to get past *this* guardian. Urd is obviously not of the temperament to talk anyone out of anything, so Elladan gets to sweettalk the guardian to let them pass (reasoning: the gods told you not to let us out to bug them, but they didn't say we can't go and look at Ra - add flattery and stir). If possible - try and work either hints of romance or at least foundations of attraction into scene(s).

"Geez. So you throw a couple of parties and get a few folks drunk and they hold it against you for the next few centuries. Baka Egyptians and their baka sense of time..."

Elladan looked up for a moment from his conversation with the serpent-guard at the door. As far as he could see, Urd showed no signs of stopping her rant. Being cooped up in the small if luxurious room they were in was driving the Norn goddess up the walls. He could sympathize, for he himself rather preferred the freedom of the Wild to the safe though stifling haven of Imladris. However, he was also wise enough to note that this would not be the time to empathize with Urd, no matter how well the intention. It was much safer, really, to enjoy his conversation with the guard, both relieving his own boredom and to learn what he could about this realm.

Well, at least they were not in any danger here. He had worried at the cool reception they had received upon first appearing here. But these gods were not unreasonable, and chose to ponder whatever differences they've had with Urd in the past, rather than summarily act upon them. They were quite hospitable in fact, if the loquacious guard at their door was any example. He had the feeling the serpent was there more for appearance's sake than aught else - the beings of this land seemed to be very much enamoured of rules and traditions.

But still... his brother and the rest of their company is still out there somewhere, and not likely in the underworld, according to what he understood of it. They needed to find a way to get out of here - it wasn't as if the gods here had *forbidden* them to visit the rest of Egypt and the spirit realm, they'd simply stuck the two of them in here with the guard with an assurance that their petition would be gotten to in time, and suppressed Urd's teleportation within Tuat (ostensibly to keep her from getting more people into trouble).

Elladan turned back to the serpent-guard. Urd did not look as if she was going to calm down soon. So he would take matters into his own hands. That was what he wanted when he agreed to come on this trip in the first place, was it not? And if he was to find a way around the restrictions placed on them, then he was going to need more information on the opposition. Fortunately, their guard was more than happy to share the information once asked the right questions. And perhaps when something did occur to him, the fiery goddess who was currently ranting at the walls would have calmned down enough to approach.

Urd gave the stone walls of the room one last kick before flopping back resignedly onto the nearest seat-rest. Her temper had finally worn down; or perhaps she was just resting for the next bout.

Of all the realms in the multiverse, it just *had* to be the Egyptians. Urd snorted. And they just *had* to still remember that oh-so-insignificant event way back when. Pity, really, that most of the Gods here were so uptight when sober. They were usually much more fun to be around after a few hundred tankards of beer and wine - well worth the effort to get them there in the first place, and the uproar afterwards. She smirked a littled as memories of that memorable party came to mind.

"Lady Urd?"

She looked up as Elladan approached her, his poise not revealing any of the unease that he might have.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"The ban that was placed on your... teleportation... it holds only within the underworld realm, does it not?"

"Yeah. So unless Bell comes to get us or they decide to let me go easy, we're not going anywhere."

"But if we are to leave the underworld...?"

"Already thought of that," Urd sighed, fanning her hands. "There's no way we could sneak back out the front door without getting caught."

"But is there not another path from the underworld? The one that Ra takes every morning?"

"Well, yeah but that way isn... it... hm..." Urd paused in mid-thought, and a calculating look crossed her face.

"Perhaps my interpretation of their speech is imperfect," Elladan offered, "but I do not think we have been forbidden to... to pay respects to the one whom all in the underworld venerate each night..."

Urd's eyes lit up with the same fire as when she was in the middle of her normal plots. "I've got it!" She grinned. "Elladan, you're a genius!" Zooming off the couch, she drew the startled half-elf into a tight embrace, whirling once or twice in the air before setting the both of them down. "You've gotten buddy-buddy with that guard right? This is what we're gonna do..."